Jardin de la Noria

Take a virtual visit to Le Jardin de la Noria, which was featured on the cover of our September / October 2011 issue. Located in the south of France, and designed by Arnaud Maurières and Eric Ossart, this garden features many pieces of sculpture in an elegant landscape design.

Sometimes, we don't always get to show the amazing garden from our covers in our magazine, but the beautiful images from the cover totally make us want to know more. So, here online, where space is unlimited, we are taking a closer look at the garden featured on our September/October 2011 cover, Le Jardin de la Noria, designed by Arnaud Maurières and Eric Ossart.

This garden is located outside of Uzès, in province of Languedoc-Roussillon, in the south of France. A private residence, owned by Jean and Martine Deparis, it is open three days a year for tours, as well as for pre-arranged tours for groups with a minimum of 15 people, from the end of April until the end of September, and for special events. More information is available on the garden's website.

The garden is named for the noria, an old-fashioned type of irrigation system, with a water wheel. The noria still works, as shown in this photo.

Arnaud Maurières and Eric Ossart, the landscape designers, were inspired by both the Islamic courtyards and the Mexican architect Luis Barragan for their work. In fact, in 2003, the pair opened a Morrocco office and started building gardens in Tunisia, Egypt, and Syria, to reflect their love of the region and landscape.

The garden has a sculpture garden, including this piece called "Chambre pour Céleste," by Denis Pondruel.

Inside the sculpture are some lines from Jean de Brunhoff's Babar the King, where he says "Ce paysage est si beau, que chaque jour, en me réveillant j'aimerais le voir. C'est ici qu'il faudra construire notre chambre," or something like, "This countryside is so beautiful, that each day, when I wake up, I would like to see it. This is where we must build our room." (Excuse my less than ideal translation!) Céleste, is, of course, Babar's Queen.

This owl, which sits on top of a pillar, is one of two, and part of an artwork entitled "Chouette de Jardin," by the sculptor François-Xavier Lalanne.

This is part of the rose garden that is part of the property.

Beyond the water element and the irises, you can see "Toupie," by Serge Bottagisio and Agnes Decoux.

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